OUR VIEW: Roadways becoming woman's world

Published: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 6:44 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 6:45 p.m.

Jokes and complaints about female drivers were common (or at least more open) in less enlightened times, when men ruled the streets and highways. It’s difficult to comprehend now, when girls are just as anxious as boys to see birthday No. 16 arrive, but only about half of adult females in the U.S. in the 1950s had driver’s licenses.

Times have changed, however, and those changes are going to keep accelerating, much like a driver of either gender trying to stay ahead of traffic on a busy interstate.

More women than men now have driver’s licenses in the U.S., according to a study by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute, finalizing a trend that’s been brewing since the 1990s. The breakdown is 105.7 million women with licenses compared to 104.3 million men.

There still are more male drivers age 44 and younger, probably because males have a higher birthrate (105 for every 100 girls). However, females have the edge in longevity — an average lifespan of 80 years, compared to 75 for men — and are choosing to remain behind the wheel longer.

And although the Michigan study showed fewer teenagers and young adults as a whole have driver’s licenses, the decline is greater for males in those age groups.

Those demographics (a word that’s been getting a lot of usage recently) signal a situation that’s locked in for good — but what does it mean?

It means auto manufacturers will target their production where the demand is — and according to the Michigan study, women like smaller cars and are focused on safety and fuel efficiency.

Could it also mean safer roadways? We mentioned the jokes about women’s skills (or lack of same) behind the wheel, but the numbers show those routines have gotten awfully stale.

According to a survey by 4autoinsurancequote.com, an online insurance quote provider that analyzed U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, 80 percent of auto accidents that result in deaths or serious injuries are caused by men, and women as a whole are 27 percent less likely to cause an accident. Men also are more likely to be cited for most all traffic violations and are more than three times as likely to drive while intoxicated.

We know that’s a broad snapshot, that there are safety conscious male drivers and reckless female ones. It still looks like U.S. roadways are becoming a woman’s world.

<p>Jokes and complaints about female drivers were common (or at least more open) in less enlightened times, when men ruled the streets and highways. It's difficult to comprehend now, when girls are just as anxious as boys to see birthday No. 16 arrive, but only about half of adult females in the U.S. in the 1950s had driver's licenses.</p><p>Times have changed, however, and those changes are going to keep accelerating, much like a driver of either gender trying to stay ahead of traffic on a busy interstate.</p><p>More women than men now have driver's licenses in the U.S., according to a study by the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute, finalizing a trend that's been brewing since the 1990s. The breakdown is 105.7 million women with licenses compared to 104.3 million men.</p><p>There still are more male drivers age 44 and younger, probably because males have a higher birthrate (105 for every 100 girls). However, females have the edge in longevity — an average lifespan of 80 years, compared to 75 for men — and are choosing to remain behind the wheel longer.</p><p>And although the Michigan study showed fewer teenagers and young adults as a whole have driver's licenses, the decline is greater for males in those age groups.</p><p>Those demographics (a word that's been getting a lot of usage recently) signal a situation that's locked in for good — but what does it mean?</p><p>It means auto manufacturers will target their production where the demand is — and according to the Michigan study, women like smaller cars and are focused on safety and fuel efficiency.</p><p>Could it also mean safer roadways? We mentioned the jokes about women's skills (or lack of same) behind the wheel, but the numbers show those routines have gotten awfully stale.</p><p>According to a survey by 4autoinsurancequote.com, an online insurance quote provider that analyzed U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, 80 percent of auto accidents that result in deaths or serious injuries are caused by men, and women as a whole are 27 percent less likely to cause an accident. Men also are more likely to be cited for most all traffic violations and are more than three times as likely to drive while intoxicated.</p><p>We know that's a broad snapshot, that there are safety conscious male drivers and reckless female ones. It still looks like U.S. roadways are becoming a woman's world.</p>